


How Might You Describe It?

by DeliciouslyMalevolent



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Gay Panic, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I'm Sorry, Idiots in Love, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Not Beta Read, Oh My God, Panic Attacks, Sad, Social Anxiety, Witches, im a sucker for fluff tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-02-19 03:15:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22704247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeliciouslyMalevolent/pseuds/DeliciouslyMalevolent
Summary: Hecate thought that after everyone knew her secret that things would go back to normal. She was sorely mistaken. Now, there's another new teacher and Ada knew about it and didn't tell her! Through anxiety(social and regular), this witch will face things that she never thought she would and will find out that not everyone intentions are able to be read upon first meetings. Friendship means a lot, and so does trust, which is something that doesn't come easily to Hecate. This new teacher might end up teaching her a few things.Okay, so this is my first first fic that I'm posting and I dont know how to explain things correctly but please enjoy!! Additional information will be added in the notes. You might be a little(or a lot) lost if you haven't seen season 3 of TWW.
Relationships: Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle & Hardbroom, Drill & Hardbroom (Worst Witch), Gwen Bat & Hardbroom, Hardbroom & Julie Hubble, Hardbroom & Mildred Hubble, Hardbroom & Morgana (Worst Witch), Hardbroom & Pentangle (Worst Witch), Hardbroom (Worst Witch) & Original Character(s), Hardbroom (Worst Witch)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hecate is flabbergasted by the fact that there's a new teacher. Both of them have social and regular anxiety but Hecate is the only one who has full blown panic attacks. This is my first fic and I dont know how to explain things well. I know I already said it but you must be warned. Please forgive me. I interchanged Magick and Magic because I can't make up my mind. Everything is heavily influenced by the show and I haven't read the books. Hecate is my favorite soft meanie and I love her. Im sorry. Im such a dork. I also usually hate every single creative thing I do just because I'm trash but I'm trying to post this before I hate it. Please enjoy. Sorry once again. Okay, I'm done. #thestruggleisreal 
> 
> Ps: apologies for the short first chapter, I'm working on figuring out length, will be multiple chapters

Chapter 1 

-

The day was warm and comfortable as Hecate took in the new first years arriving at Cackles. The abilities of the witches seemed to decline each year, but that was what Cackles was there for, to teach them. Hecate watched as Mildred landed and met up with Maud and Enid. Mildred showed them a new spell she learned and they seemed happy. Since when did she care about Mildred Hubble's happiness? Hecate shivered internally and continued taking stock of the arriving students. Ada appeared beside her, clad in her usual pink sweater and black skirt.

"Good morning, Hecate, dear. Isn't it lovely to see them all again?" Ada asked.

"Yes, Headmistress," Hecate sighed, "Except that they seem ever incapable of conducting themselves in an orderly fashion."

"Oh, come now, Hecate. They haven't seen one another for months, after all. Speaking of, have you greeted any of the other teachers yet?"

Hecate was unsure of Ada's meaning. She never usually took the time to greet Dimity or the other teachers until the first day meeting, so why did Ada ask now? 

"No, I haven't. Might there be a reason that you wish me to?"

"Oh, no reason," Ada replied coolly, " But I do trust that you enjoyed your break?"

"I did. It was a wonderful opportunity to collect stock of herbs and ingredients for the first term. I also managed to make all of my lesson plans for the first term as well." Hecate said proudly.

"I realize the importance of planning to you, Hecate, but did you do anything for yourself?"

Hecate turned to Ada with wide eyes. "I assure you, Ada, collecting herbs is a worthwhile way to spend my time for myself." Hecate said with consternation and a hint of doubt for herself.

Ada looked Hecate in the eyes with her usual caring face until Hecate found she couldn't hold her gaze and turned her attention elsewhere. As she did, she caught sight of a rather unusual occurrence. Someone she didn't know was flying toward the castle. She watched, ready to act if the mysterious person turned out to have malicious intent. After what the school and Ada had been through, she could not allow any more careless mistakes to be made. The figure landed by the pond that Mildred Hubble first touched down in and Hecate noticed something even stranger. This person was wearing pants. 

As Hecate took the time to observe the newcomer, she noticed that it was a woman with long, flowing black hair and a very untraditional style. The woman had black leather platform boots of three inches, black skin-tight jeans, and a black three quarter sleeve blouse that dropped to just below her elbows. The ends of the sleeves were long, adding to her flowing look. The collar went beneath her collarbones and stopped just at the rise of her chest. In the middle was a bow tied with long strings. The woman's figure was disproportionate but fit on her, earning a pleasing mix of curves and sharp edges. Her nails were shorter and less pointy than Hecate's, but we're still manicured to a tee. Unlike the rest of her ensemble, her nails were bright red. Around her neck she wore a long silver chain with what looked to be a stone on the end. To match her necklace, her earrings were dangles that contained simple and small stones of the same type. When studying her face, she looked to be knowledgeable and concentrated yet still guarded of true emotion. The woman turned to dismount her broom and take her belongings off of it. As Hecate watched intently, a flash of color cut her concentration. The ends of the woman's hair were silver and stood out against the dark clothes she wore.

In the few moments that it took the woman to land and dismount, Ada saw a flash of emotions pass over Hecate's face and end on set rage. Before Ada could stop her, Hecate had already transferred to where the woman was standing.

"Hecate Hardbroom, Deputy Headmistress of Cackles academy. I know not who you are or what you are doing here, but by the looks of it, you plan on staying here for quite some time. If that is the case, I suggest you hold conference with your hair and fix it immediately. Bright hair color is against school code." Hecate said in her best imposing Deputy Head voice.

Following her initial shock, the woman spoke, "My apologies, truly, ma'am. Unfortunately, my hair color is non-reversible. Genetics, you know?" She laughed softly and did the customary greeting gesture. "My name is Minerva. Minerva Grimsborne. It's a pleasure to meet you after hearing so much from Ada!"

"You've spoken with Ada?" Hecate asked slowly.

"Why, yes ma'am, I have. I'm to be a new teacher this year." Minerva stated politely.

Hecate's eyes flashed white before her as she recalled memories that she would rather not of new teachers from the past. She stood in silent shock for a minute until Minerva spoke again. "Are you quite alright, Mistress Hardbroom?"

Hecate snapped back into reality, glared deep into Minerva's eyes, and transferred away.


	2. A Garden?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have said this in the first chapter but I will be posting on a wobbly schedule. I dont usually know when I'll be able to write and it is just a hobby. Since ive already written ch2, though, I'm posting it now. If I finish a chapter, I'll post it. But mainly Thursdays will be posting days I hope. Please enjoy this longer chapter! And some of my info might be off and if it is, please leave a comment and I'll make sure to fix it in later chapters. Also, leave comments if you have suggestions about anything! I'm open to a lot, it just needs to fit somehow :P idk thanks for reading!

Hecate appeared in her rooms, frazzled, worried, and a little peeved that Ada didn't tell her about this new teacher. How could she not? She knew what happened last time. Why was she so willing to let this woman into the school? Hecate began to pace through her quarters, turning sharply when she reached the wall. Her hands were by her sides, nails cutting into her flesh as she clenched them. A soft knock sounded from the door and she healed her wounds quickly. She knew Ada would disapprove of such things.

"Come in." She said stiffly.

The door opened slowly to reveal the headmistress. She walked a few steps into the room and saw Hecate in the far corner, gazing out of her bay window. The room was comfortable enough, though it looked too clean and organized to be homey. When entering, one could observe a sitting area with two wingback chairs and a small table between them. This was settled in front of the fireplace, a place which Ada had come to enjoy when she had tea in Hecate's rooms. Behind the chairs on the opposite wall were bookshelves, each filled to the brim with limited editions and signed copies of all sorts of informational texts. At the far end of the room was a desk which sat in front of the bay window and faced the door. Between the bookshelves was a door that led into Hecate's bedroom, bathroom, and closet. In the middle of the room on the far wall was Hecate's bed, a king size Elizabethan four-poster bed with ornate wooden posts. Off of these hung black curtains which could be pulled together for privacy on the sides. Hecate never closed them, for she never needed privacy while in her rooms. On the bed were deep grey egyptian cotton sheets with a heavy comforter that matched. To each of the four posts was attached a top to the bed, matching the posts with its ornate carvings of gods and war. On the underside was a star-filled night, magicked into place by Hecate herself. There was a nightstand by the bed, a comfortable sitting chair by the window with a table of its own, and a chest of drawers in the corner, all matching the engravings of the bed. To the left of the door was another, leading to the bathroom and closet. The closet to the left was a walk-in and contained many versions of Hecate's usual dress with different color undertones. Also in the room were different heels, belts, and even blouses and skirts. Hidden in a drawer were lounge clothes and simple black jeans. Hung on the other wall were Hecate's leather nightgown and other night garments. To the right is the bathroom, set with white tile and black grout, complete with grey marble countertops. It featured a walk-in shower and a large clawfoot bathtub with a wooden board across the middle, perfect for wine and relaxation. Despite the relaxed bathroom that Hecate often indulged in, she was not relaxed at the moment.

"Hecate, are you alright? You disappeared quite suddenly." Ada said, concerned.

Hecate turned slowly to look her in the eyes, worry plastered onto her face.

"A new teacher, Ada?" She asked sharply and winced. "Need I remind you of past occurrences?" 

"This is different, Hecate. She's a good witch and I have known her for quite some time. Besides, she isn't a new art teacher, as you might be glad to hear." Ada said softly.

"Not an art teacher? What is she teaching, then?"

"Biology of Magical Beings, plants, and animals. I should think that it falls under the category of educational necessity. Wouldn't you agree?" Ada questioned.

"I… I can see the uses of such a topic. But I don't understand. Why do we need this new subject if we haven't needed it before?" Hecate asked.

"To be frank, we haven't had a Mildred Hubble before either. I thought that if we gave them the knowledge of creatures and the way they live, we might be able to avoid another incident such as the Hypnopillion. Could you try to get along with her, Hecate? I know it's hard to believe that anyone is innocent after what happened, but I do know her, and I do trust her."

Hecate blushed slightly at remembering that it was her who sent them into Hollow Wood. Though she would still be wary of the new inhabitant of Cackles, she nodded her agreement to Ada. Ada smiled at Hecate, gave her a nod of approval, and transferred back out to the grounds. Hecate suspected she should do the same. She gave herself a minute to breathe and get herself back together again then transferred next to Ada on the grass in the courtyard. She no longer saw the new teacher and so thought that she had gone to her rooms to unpack. As the last students trickled in, she and Ada made their way into the Great Hall to welcome the students back. The seats filled quickly and Ada began her speech of being "glad to see all of your young, bright faces once again." Hecate sometimes thought she overdid it, but it didn't hurt anything so she never said something about it. 

"As we welcome you all back to Cackles, I would also like to welcome a new teacher!" Ada exclaimed.

The room burst into gasps and whispers so loud Ada had to shout to be heard again.

"Quiet everyone! I know we're all excited and cautious from last year, but please hold your talking until after. Our new teacher will be holding a class on the biology of Magickal Beings and I trust you all to listen well and learn much. She is a very capable woman and a good friend of mine. Please help me welcome, Ms. Grimsborne!" 

As the students roared into clapping and talking, Minerva made her way from the side hallway next to Ada where she greeted her the "witch way", then hugged her tightly. She was nervous and wanted to make a good first impression on all of the students and teachers. After all, Ada had told her what they had been through. On the other side of Ada, Hecate stood as stiff as a rod. She stood like that until Ada finished her speech and all of the students had left the hall.

Hecate exhaled heavily once she was sure she was alone and gazed down at her shoes. She needed to prepare herself for the first day meeting. A sound from behind made her startle and she quickly turned around to see what had caused it. Nothing was there. Slightly shaken, she checked around the corner and, when satisfied that there was no trouble, transferred away.

An hour later, after the girls were settled in, it was time for the first day meeting. Hecate transferred to just outside the door and walked inside. Almost everyone was there already, except Minerva. Late to the first meeting? Hecate thought. Dimity jumped from her seat and ran over to Hecate, crushing her in a bear hug.

"Hey, HB! Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed your summer?" Dimity all but shouted.

Once she was free and able to breathe again, Hecate replied stiffly, "Yes, I did." She smoothed down her skirts and moved swiftly over to the corner of the room closer to Ada. After a few quiet minutes of greetings later, Minerva came through the door. 

"Sorry I'm late. Took longer than I expected to unpack." She said apologetically.

"That's quite alright!" Ada said. "Everyone, this is Minerva Grimsborne. As you heard at the assembly, she will be teaching Biology of Magical Beings. I have known her for quite some time and I hope we will treat her as part of the family. How are you settling in, by the way?"

"Very nicely, indeed! My room and classroom are far more than I could have ever asked for. And the castle! It’s just perfect!"

"I'm glad it’s to your liking, dear." Ada replied softly. "Would you like to say a few words?"

Hecate tensed at this.

"Oh, um, sure." Minerva replied anxiously. She wasn't too big on public speaking, but she thought she'd make the effort. "Hello, everyone. As you know, my name is Minerva Grimsborne, but you're welcome to call me Minerva or anything you like, really. After hearing from Ada about what happened, I can understand that y'all might be on edge. I want you to know that I have the best of intentions for this school, its students, and all of its staff. Following that, I would like to offer help to anyone that may need it, whether it be with school, planning, help with creature species, or even emotional issues. All I want to do is help. Thank y'all so much for being so welcoming so far. I'm looking forward to a great year with all of you." Minerva beamed as she finished and hoped that she had finally found a place that she could fit in.

Before anyone could applaud or greet the new teacher, Dimity piped up with a question.

"Hiya, Min. Can I call you Min? Well anyways, that was a lovely speech. May I ask, where are you from? Your accent is quite intriguing."

"Oh!" Minerva laughed softly. "Of course you can call me Min. I'm from Georgia in the United States. I try not to sound too southern but sometimes the "y'alls" just come out."

Dimity grinned wide and laughed out loud. The sound was hearty and homey. Hecate was startled by the outburst and jumped, then turned away to make it seem as if it were on purpose. Ada saw the slight movement and her attention was drawn to Hecate, who was now picking at a non-existent thread on her dress. She decided to move things along, it was time for everyone to be more comfortable with their new addition.

"Alright, Minerva, thank you so much. Why don't you get to know everyone and then I'm sure Hecate would be happy to give you a tour around the campus. Won't you, Hecate?" Ada said, saccharine sweet.

Hecate loved Ada more than she loved herself, but sometimes, the woman was despicable. 

"Yes, of course, Headmistress." Hecate replied curtly.

Ada nodded with finality and everyone went into motion. Miss. Bat and Mr. Rowan-Webb were the first to take advantage of the table of food that had been set up. Dimity went over to make more conversation with Minerva while Ada went to check on Hecate who had moved to the window and was staring out of it, eyes unfocused. Ada knew that her mind was reeling, though.

"I know its a lot, Hecate, but please give her a chance, you said that you would." Ada pleaded.

"I know, and I will try. You know how I must worry over everything."

"Yes, I do." Ada said looking over to Minerva who looked like a deer in the headlights with Dimity. "Why don't you go ahead and gather her for the tour?"

"Is there anything specific you would like me to mention?" Hecate inquired.

"Be sure to show her all of the classrooms and your garden, she would love that. You know, she is a big fan of potions as well, so a peek into the ingredient closet would make her day. Also, mention Miss. Tapioca somehow, please. She needs to be warned." Ada gave Hecate an encouraging smile and gave her a soft squeeze on her upper arm.

Hecate gave one of her small, soft, and sweet smiles that were reserved only for Ada and the occasional rare moment of pride for her students. She took a deep breath and unlocked her arms from their crossed position, put them by her sides, and walked swiftly to where Minerva was standing.

"Are you ready for your tour?" Hecate asked in her slow and deliberate manner.

Minerva startled just a bit but recovered quickly as she had the first time. She said her temporary goodbyes to Dimity and turned to face Hecate.

"Yes, Mistress Hardbroom, I'm quite ready."

"Good." Hecate deadpanned. 

She proceeded to walk briskly out of the room and turned sharply into the hall. Minerva took that as her cue to follow, and so she did, surprising Hecate with her ability to keep up pace with her. Hecate led Minerva through the school, room by room. She showed her the general area for student sleeping quarters and the kitchen and even managed to warn her about the cooking. She showed her all of the classrooms including Minerva's new one and told her that it used to be the old office for admissions, but was primarily storage until now. Hecate also showed her her own classroom and did as Ada asked and showed her the ingredients closet. Minerva was astonished at the organization and range of all that Hecate possessed and fawned over her room for quite some time. They had begun a discussion on some herbs when Hecate decided to show her the garden.

Hecate stopped Minerva short on the sentence she was about to begin and said "Follow me."

Just as she thought she was getting somewhere, Minerva felt as if the stone cold woman would never like her, but she followed anyway. Hecate led them back through the halls and out the back of the castle. On the other side of a heavy wooden door was a cracked cobblestone path that led down a short incline to a glass building shaped like a hexagon. The walls were high enough to fit trees and the top came in to make an even taller point. Minerva was very intrigued and maybe even a little excited. She was troubled by a thought, though. She decided to voice it to Hecate as they stood admiring the building for a moment.

"Say, Mistress Hardbroom, how come I was unable to see this when I was flying in?"

"I have a glamour on it so that no strangers or students may see it, but since you are now a teacher, you have access to it. No one really comes out here, anyway, except me, so Ada just calls it my garden. She thought you might like to see it." Hecate said in the softest tone that Minerva had heard yet, given that it was still delivered with precision and purpose.

"She was right, indeed. I love it! Would I be able to go inside, that is, if it's alright with you?" Minerva asked, a little shy.

"I am never one to try to stop educational exploration, within reason, of course." Hecate said.

They began down the path and were beginning to start up conversation on plants once again. Once they reached the greenhouse, Minerva noticed a large door with a heavy, iron, three-part slide lock. Hecate unlocked this with magic and the big rods moved in unison, scraping and creating a rusty squeak as they came apart. The heavy door opened to present a large room filled with life. Minerva was astonished, she had never seen such a beautiful garden. The sun came through the roof perfectly in splintered shards of light, shining on each plant and giving it its own personality. Minerva walked in slowly with Hecate close behind. There was a designated pathway, but it was not manufactured. It seemed to Minerva that these pathways had been weathered into the ground by feet walking the same path over and over. The sheer mass of species in the room was astonishing in itself, to be able to regulate them and fit all of their different needs was a difficult task, indeed.

"You grow all of these by yourself?" Minerva asked, interest piqued. 

"Of course. I have been growing this since I began working here. It serves as ingredients for potions, mainly, so I do have to keep it up for that reason. It also contains regular cooking herbs that I donate to Miss. Tapioca, otherwise her food would have no taste what-so-ever. I do not wish to spend too much time here, though, the girls are probably making a ruckus after not having seen one another. It is getting close to time for me to make rounds as well. Come along." Hecate said quickly.

It was fast enough for Minerva to almost miss something. Did she just make a joke? Despite the fact that she thought that they were getting along, it seemed that Hecate wanted to get away from her as fast as possible. She supposed, like the garden, she would have to tread the same path over and over again to make Hecate more comfortable with her presence. They exited the garden swiftly and Hecate re-locked the big bolt. Once they reached Minerva's classroom, Hecate made to make her goodbyes.

"Now, I suppose you will want to set up your classroom before tomorrow." Hecate said, somewhat strained.

"Yes, Mistress Hardbroom, I suppose I should." Minerva said. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to separate from Hecate so soon. She did have to set up her classroom though, and she made her goodbyes as well. "Thank you for showing me around today, it was quite lovely seeing the garden and the rest of the school."

Hecate nodded in acknowledgement and turned sharply away. As she began walking she was struggling with her thoughts. She was anxious about the school with a new addition and wanted to remain alert in case something was amiss, but being around Minerva made her guard shut down, and that worried her even more. How could she protect them if she was unable to discern who was trying to hurt them? These thoughts would plague her throughout the night and would give way to a very grumpy HB on Monday morning.

Minerva watched for a second as Hecate walked a bit and then transferred away. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding, then. She guessed that even though it was just one person, the pressure of making a good impression on her was enough to spark her anxiety. It always seemed to come about during the event if there were several people, but started after if it was only one. She didn't know why her brain and body did this, only that it did. She just had to work through it until the shaking stopped and her breathing evened out. She turned toward her classroom and smiled at it. She was excited for tomorrow, despite being completely and utterly terrified by the thought of it.


	3. A New Day, A New Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of school at Cackles is just beginning...what will the new term bring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm wibbly wobbly and really tired, okay? Sorry. I hoped I could have a schedule but I apparently cant because I have shit to do soooo....*cough* anyways, enjoy this relatively short chapter of the beginning day for Minerva!

Minerva woke up to light streaming through her barely cracked curtains and the sound of far off birds. She listened for a moment, taking a deep breath to ground herself. She let her thoughts take her, as they often did when she was just waking up.   
The picturesque and fairytale quality of such mornings offered great debate for the meaning of life and the purpose of waking up. She thought of obligations that could go avoided, if only to listen to the wind howl past the glass. Obligations. Didn't she have some of those? As she sat up, she realized that she was not in her normal room. The unfamiliar setting now became familiar as she remembered where she was. This will take some getting used to.   
Her heart jumped in her chest when she thought about the time. She hurriedly looked over at the clock on her bedside table and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still two hours before breakfast. Since she was up, she figured she should get ready and prepare her classroom and herself for the day ahead. 

Minerva rose from the bed and stretched, bones popping from disuse. She sleepily stumbled over to her curtains and opened them slowly so as to not blind herself from unexpected light.   
The sun was just above the horizon but had already lost its sunrise orange hue and was bright yellow. The trees on the grounds swayed in a light breeze. The sight was beautiful. As Minerva watched a small flock of birds fly past her window, she noticed a dark figure at the tree-line. It walked rather slowly in a sort of bent posture, eyes trained on the ground. Every once in a while the figure would stop and crouch, collecting something from the ground.   
After watching this figure and studying its patterns, Minerva realized what, or who, it was. It was Miss. Hardbroom collecting herbs and mushrooms of different species. Minerva felt her cheeks go red at the thought that she had just been staring at the woman for so long. She quickly turned away from the window and began to get dressed. 

Choosing something different from her normal style, Minerva decided to go with a flowing black skirt instead of pants. With this, she paired a black blouse which had a collar that was brought together by three buttons and whose sleeves were long and had cuffs on the end. She tucked this into her long skirt and pulled it at the edges to make it flow out over the edge of the skirt. For her shoes, she chose her black, lace-up, three inch oxford heels. They were classy, yet stylish, and she found them to be quite comfortable. Her hair was a completely different issue. She always found that the right hairstyle helped to improve perception given the circumstances. After some internal debate, she decided on a single braid down her back. After magicking that into place, she looked at it in the mirror, satisfied with the appearance. The thick braid ended at her lower back and the silver showed out from the black cotton. Her hair would always be a wonder to her. The length, impeccable growth speed, thickness, and silver coloring at the ends made her appreciate genes more every time she looked at it. Finishing off with some metallic silver eyeshadow to compliment her hair and her signature stone necklace and earrings, she decided she was ready to head to her classroom. 

Minerva decided to take her time down the long and winding hallways. As her first day at Cackle's Academy, it was going pretty good so far. She was up early, dressed, happy, and above all, prepared. She had never prepared for something so much before this. She was bouncing off the walls with excitement, but some small voice kept whispering. What if you didn't prepare for this? Or this? Or what if they don't like you? What if they see through you? What if you do something wrong? Yes. These thoughts always plagued her at any given moment, but she had to push through them. She had to. If she couldn't, then what was she even here for? She thought about the opportunity that was so graciously gifted to her by one of her closest friends. Ada always did have a kind soul, which might have been why it took so long to root out some of the suspects for the school's issues in the past. 

Thinking of Ada made her mouth water for her tea and pastries. It might be a little early in the morning, but it was worth a try. Transferring to outside her office door, Minerva stood, poised to knock when something caught her attention. There were voices from within that sounded hurried and agitated. She could barely make out the words except for trial period, Julie, mold, and last time. She wondered what mold would have to do with the other items, but she figured the conversation was about her due to the trial period part. She would be happy to go through a trial period, she had nothing to hide and was completely open to the idea. As she contemplated the mold subject, she didn't notice the heavy cracks on the other side of the door and was stunned when it was opened to an immensely and unfathomably peeved Deputy Headmistress who somehow embodied grace, confidence, fear, and anger all at once. It was quite the intimidating sight. Minerva shrunk back in embarrassment at her accidental eavesdropping. Thankfully, Ada spoke before either of them got the chance to.

"Ah, good! Minerva, we were just about to call you in! Please, come in and sit. Would you like some tea or a scone?" Ada said merrily.

Walking nervously past Hecate's glare, Minerva decided on sitting in the chair by the window and two sugars in her tea. It was terrific tea. Her indulgence into the flow of warm tea soothing her throat was interrupted by Ada speaking up once again.

"As to avoid any surprises to your character today," Ada said suspiciously while glancing at Hecate. "We wanted to tell you now about the trial period that new teachers go through. Our last teachers, Miss. Hubble and Miss. Mould, went through a trial of sorts themselves." The glance at Hecate was more prominent this time and she averted her eyes to invisible wrinkles on her dress. 

So that was the "mold," and I suppose Julie is Miss. Hubble. Minerva thought to herself.

"The trial will consist of two weeks of monitoring your classes and lesson plans as well as your behavior in the presence of students, but I'm sure you have nothing to worry about." Ada said as a Headmistress, then transferred into the kind friend that Minerva knew she was. "Now, how are you feeling about your first class, dear? I'm sure you'll do amazing!"

Hecate took the segway into personal conversation as her cue to leave. She transferred out without a word so as to not be noticed, but both of the other women noticed. Minerva was glad about the change, for she hadn't been able to talk with Ada about anything personal since their last mirror chat, which was almost two months ago.

"I'm alright, I guess. I'm ready but I'm worrying over little details and I don't want to mess it up. This is a great opportunity that you've given me, and I don't want to disappoint you either." Minerva replied tremulously.

"You could never disappoint me, dear. I know that your heart is good and that you will always do anything you set your mind to and do it to the best of your abilities. I know that the girls will love you and the teachers will too. Some will take a bit more time to trust, but they will. But I trust you now, and I know you'll do great." Ada said with heartfelt fervor.

"Thank you, Ada. I hope I can make you proud. All of you." Minerva gestured vaguely to the school. 

"I know you will." Ada encouraged confidently and smiled warmly.

\--

Minerva sat behind her desk in her classroom going over every one of her class periods, the roll for that period, and what she would be teaching. She wasn't teaching anything different, she just wanted to be prepared. She also saw that lunch was around eleven in the morning. Thinking of lunch made her think of breakfast and she checked her clock on her desk. There were thirty minutes until it was time to go to the dining hall. This is it, she thought, the moment that could make or break all of this. After going over her schedule three more times, Minerva decided it might be time to go to the dining hall. Maybe being a little early would help. She stood slowly from her desk, took a deep breath, and transferred outside the door of the dining hall. She could hear slight noise within, but nothing to suggest that there were more than a few people within. She opened the door and was relieved to see only a few students at the far end along with Ms. Drill and Mrs. Bat at the teachers' table. Dimity noticed her immediately and gave her a big smile.

"Hey there, Min! Hope you're settling in alright. You can sit there," Dimity said while pointing to a seat across the table from her. "No one else sits there. Ada sits there, Hecate there, Algernon there, and we sit here!" Dimity finished after pointing to each seat.

Minerva was a little worried when Dimity said that the open seat was next to Hecate's, but she figured she'd eventually get over the jumping of her nerves whenever Hecate came around or even when she was mentioned. She could only hope. 

"Thank you so much, Dimity! I'm settling in alright. A little nervous, but I'm looking forward to teaching." Minerva said, trying her best to sound hopeful.

"Oh I'm sure you'll be great. Just watch out for Hallow and Hubble, those two are always getting into trouble." Dimity chuckled while Mrs. Bat nodded in agreeance. 

Shortly after some light conversation, Ada and Hecate arrived. Algernon arrived shortly after them and apologized quietly to Mrs. Bat for being late. They all sat and began their own conversations, Hecate and Minerva each listening without talking, both for similar and different reasons. Students began to file in and each took a curious glance at Minerva. She knew that they had their reasons, but it didn't make her any less embarrassed. She fixed her gaze on the teachers around her to distract from the stares. Ada was talking about how much she was looking forward to a great year and Dimity agreed. Minerva snuck a glance at Hecate who was being just as quiet as her. She noticed that Hecate was looking at Ada, but was not focusing on her words. She looked just as much in her own head as Minerva felt. That gave her some relief to know that she wasn't the only one who was worried. The rest of the breakfast passed peacefully enough and the food wasn't completely terrible, so Minerva counted this as a good start. She went to her classroom afterwards and waited for her students to arrive for their first lesson on the Biology of Magical Beings, but someone else would be attending as well.


	4. Ethel, As Always, Makes A Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate drops some eaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, my facts might be off for this one but I hope its not too terrible. This one is meant to provide a segway, but its kinda short, so please enjoy!

Hecate knew that she wasn't the most personable or social person out there. She didn't talk all that much in the first place, but she had had her reasons for not saying a word at breakfast. For a start, she still didn't really trust Minerva all that much. It was hard enough for her to become comfortable with the rest of the teachers when she first started teaching at Cackle's. Normally, she would put her two cents in to Ada but she seemed incapable of making her vocal cords work in front of Minerva. She didn't know why other than the intense feeling of untrustworthiness. She knew she had to find out. She decided that, since she had her first period free, that she would look into Minerva's class. So, after breakfast, she made herself scarce as fast as possible so that Minerva would not feel her transfer into her class, but would already be there.   
When she arrived in Minerva's classroom, she made herself invisible and put a silencing spell around herself so that her heels would not be heard as she walked. She knew that Ada would be disappointed, as she had been when she caught Hecate snooping in Ms. Mould's room. But Hecate had been right then, couldn't she be right now? She knew within herself that the feelings that she felt as a result of Ms. Mould were very different than those she felt around Ms. Grimsborne, but she couldn't convince herself that it was anything other than malicious intent. Hecate began to inspect the documents on Minerva's desk and was almost disappointed when nothing of importance could be found on it. Well, who would leave important information just lying around? Hecate chastised herself. She was tempted to start looking through the drawers of the desk when Minerva walked in. She quickly moved away from the desk and into an unoccupied corner where she could watch without being noticed. Minerva sat at her desk, looked over her schedule one last time and took a deep breath. She stood once again and went to the door to wait on the arrival of the students. A few quiet moments passed and the students began to pour in excitedly. They all chattered and gawked at the room and its many displays of animal and plant life. It was everywhere. On the walls, on the tables, even bookshelves were filled with different species. Hecate grimaced at the seemingly already present lack of control over the children from Ms.Grimsborne. That grimace changed, however, when Minerva finally walked in and the room went silent. She stood proudly, front and center, and began to address her new pupils.

"Hello, everyone! As you know, I am Ms.Grimsborne and I will be teaching you about Biology! Now, you know me, but I don't know you. So, why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves, hmm? Let's start with you, yes? Tell us your name and a fun fact about you." She pointed to a young girl in the front who did as she asked and went on and on. 

Hecate was unsure where this was going but why was there a need for a "fun fact?" What's fun about a pet goldfish or a dream to be a witch journalist? She had no clue and was appalled by such tomfoolery. The names and fun facts eventually got to Mildred, who said her name and told Ms.Grimsborne about her passion for art and her background from a non-witching family. Ethel decided to make a rude comment about Mildred's lack of witching ability and so had to make up for it with painting fuddy duddy pictures. Minerva countered her quickly with a statement about how art can improve several things such as concentration, memory, and creativity in problem solving, which is why she often drew as well. Ethel shrunk into herself and swore in her mind that this new teacher would pay for embarrassing her. Hecate, however, was somehow mildly entertained by the first show of Minerva's abilities. It seemed she wasn't so sweet and nice after all. Minerva continued with the students and, once finished, went to the front to speak again.

"Thank you all so much for sharing, I appreciated it and hope to learn more about each of you. Next, I wish to talk about my rules. I know, I know. Rules are gross, but there are just a few, and if you follow them, we'll get along just fine. Number one: Be respectful at all times. I don't mean to just me, either. Be respectful to your peers, your environment, and all of your teachers. Number two: Do not touch any specimens without asking me first. I know they may look fun and harmless, but some can be toxic if mishandled. And last but not least, Number 3: Do not lie. I can tell if you are lying and you will be punished for it. If you tell me the truth, you will automatically be better off than if you were to lie to me. I expect each and every one of these rules to be followed. If you don't, you will not like me very much. On the contrary, if you do, we can have loads of fun in this class. How does that sound? Do we have an understanding?" Minerva finished. The whole class nodded fervently, except Ethel. "I said, do we have an understanding?" Minerva said through gritted teeth with a pointed glare at Ethel, who for some reason was now a little scared. She nodded slowly but surely. "Good. Now, everyone, I have something planned for our first day in class! I want you all to pick a specimen in the room and draw it. But remember, if you want to touch it, you must ask me, alright?" 

With excited nods from the class, Minerva passed out blank sheets of paper to the class and smiled when she reached a near-bouncing Mildred. Hecate was astonished with the firmness of Minerva's words. She seemed completely soft when she first met her, but that image was constantly changing. She was exceptionally surprised with how well she handled Ethel, who, at times, was difficult for even herself. The class seemed well behaved and Hecate thought that she might have misjudged Minerva in the beginning but was interrupted but a high pitched scream. Ethel was standing at the very back of the class with her hand extended towards Minerva, whose face was getting increasingly darker.

"Ethel Hallow." She said darkly. "What happened here?"

Ethel looked more scared of her than she did of the giant burn-like rash on her hand. "It wasn't my fault! I was walking and Felicity bumped into me and my hand hit this weird flower!" Felicity started to protest but Minerva held up her hand to quiet her, her eyes never leaving Ethel's now anxious face.

"Ethel, I just told you not to lie and yet you did. I watched you touch this without my permission and then you go and blame it on a peer? That's two rules you've broken on your first day." Minerva shook her head and continued over Ethel's excuses. "What you have touched is a Calico Lily. It's a very rare flower that can give one the symptoms of cat scratch fever, or can give a deadly, poisonous puncture. If used correctly, it can also make a fast antidote to nearly any fever or snake bite. Luckily, it didn't prick you, but you do need medical attention and a honey bath. So, go stand by the door and I will escort you to the nurse and explain."

"But-" Ethel started but was cut off by a glare and decided not to push her luck anymore. "Yes, Ms. Grimsborne." She walked slowly over to the door and went outside to wait.

While Ethel went out, Minerva had gone to her desk and wrote something on a sheet of paper and told everyone to keep working but not to touch anything until she was back. She went out with Ethel and Hecate saw her put her arm over her shoulder and under her hand to help her walk, and was more confused than ever. She was so angry at Ethel, yet still remained gentle with her. Her inquiry into Minerva's character was cut off by her curiosity for what she wrote on the paper. She walked over and was startled by what she saw.

It read:

Mistress Harbroom, 

I am sorry to interrupt your viewing of my class but as you probably saw, I needed to take care of something. If you would be so kind as to watch the class while I tend to Ethel, it would be much appreciated. I know this is probably going to affect my trial period, but that was the point of your observation, I suppose. Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience.

Truest Apologies and Greatest Thanks,  
Minerva

Hecate was dumbfounded. Minerva knew that she was there the whole time, but didn't indicate that she knew at all. Hecate was happy, however, that her true purpose was not revealed and that she could continue to watch under the guise of the trial period. Startled that she had been found out but in an unusually good mood, Hecate decided to do as was asked of her.

The children began to get loud so Hecate thought that it was time to make her entrance. She acted as though she transferred in and drawled out, "I do believe you all are supposed to be working on a drawing?" 

The class collectively jumped and looked fearfully at Hecate's strict glare. They began working again, though, and Hecate was satisfied. She started to walk around the classroom, pretending to inspect the class's drawings while actually looking at Minerva's specimens. They were quite interesting and she did recognize quite a few of them. She supposed that some of them were from America, which is why she had no idea what they were. The class continued to work while Hecate walked around. When she finished, she went and sat at Minerva's desk and summoned her own papers that needed to be graded. All was quiet and everyone was doing their work, including Hecate. 

Suddenly, Hecate felt a shift in magic. Afterward, Minerva walked in and smiled widely at her. She guessed that she transferred to the outside of the door and walked in. Hecate stood and vanished her papers. Minerva walked quickly over to her and spoke in hushed tones. The class was not disturbed and most didn't know she had even come back yet.

"Thank you so much, Mistress Hardbroom. I imagine that you had more important business to attend to." Minerva whispered shyly. 

"I suppose that it was no trouble at all since I do not have a class this period." Hecate said indifferently.

"Well, either way, I owe you one." Minerva smiled.

Hecate was taken aback by the kindness that she had been greeted with, so she just nodded and then transferred away. She landed in her classroom and was unsure of what to do next. No one had ever "owed" her before. They just expected her to do her job and not go out of her way to do anything. She surmised that she never really did do anything extra for others, so how could they owe her? How would Minerva even "pay her back?" She did not know but she could not focus on it any longer. She looked at her watch and saw that her class was about to start. She figured that she couldn't very well cancel her first class of the year and spend the time thinking. She sighed deeply and sat at her desk. Things are going to be very different now, aren't they? She thought as the class began to fill with pupils.


	5. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story took a giant turn from my original direction, but you know, it is what it is.

Wow. Her first day as a teacher was done. She should be happy. She should, but all she felt was the crushing weight of being a failure. Minerva knew that Ethel's accident wasn't her fault but it still felt like she could have prevented it. Plus, Hecate was there. How could she prove to her that she belonged there if she couldn't control her students or prevent them from getting hurt? For these reasons, Minerva was now curled on her bed in a ball, one tear sliding down her cheek. She knew she shouldn't feel like this, but she couldn't control that overwhelming feeling of dread bubbling in her chest subtly and then seemingly grabbing her heart with an iron grip. It made her chest clench and her breath leave her body. While it slowly went away, she was left to think, but the reverberations stayed to remind her of her flaws. She decided that it was time to stop wallowing. She would still criticize herself in her head, but the literal wallowing on the bed was sad. She got up slowly, her elbows, knees, and ankles popping from the sudden movement. She cracked her neck when she was fully standing and it made a loud, satisfying pop. She moved to her window and slid the curtain on its rod out of her way. She saw that the sun was on the down-stroke and knew that her first night was coming. Another wave of dread passed through her but she fought through it. 'You asked for this, remember?' She asked herself. While continuing to chastise herself, she noticed the same figure from this morning at the treeline. 'Hecate must have a routine that's set in stone. It might help for me to get one of those.' She thought contemplatively. 

\--

Several days passed and classes seemingly went smoothly. Minerva was in her rooms, drinking tea and thinking about all of the mistakes she's made over the week that she had been at Cackles'. They were few and far between, but Hecate witnessed all of them. Thinking of her, Minerva went to her window. She could see her reflection in the glass and shuttered. She saw Hecate heading down her normal path when she finally stopped loathing her own reflection. Deciding to try something, she spelled herself into some better clothing and fixed her hair and makeup. It wouldn't due for her to go around looking like a street rat. She transferred to the back entrance that led to the treeline and started to walk. 

Even though the sun was going down, it was still bright enough to see well. Because of this, Minerva decided to take a walk through the forest. She could see Hecate near the end of the trees and tried not to be seen. She was confused, however, as to why she didn't want her to see her yet. She wanted it to happen by chance, she supposed. She made her way into the forest without being noticed. After walking for some time and enjoying the nature, she was much calmer than she had been. She saw a large tree that had fallen and sunk into the Earth and decided to take a rest. She sat on the log and took a deep breath. The wind was whispering through the leaves and the ravens were circling and squawking in the distance. It really was a beautiful day and Minerva hated that her mood was spoiling it. She decided that she would try to see the brighter side of things; this was an excellent opportunity, and she shouldn't waste it by pitying herself and overthinking. Deep in thought, Minerva was unaware of the sudden crackling of magic in the air.

\--

Hecate was fuming. Her routines had never been interrupted like this before. There she was, taking her normal walk to her normal spot in the woods when, lo and behold, the person who was the source of her current misgivings, was sitting in her spot, the one that she had discovered, and had made her own secret sanctuary. 'How dare she come here! To this place and at this time!'

Since her childhood, Hecate has had to learn to control her magic. She always seemed to have a harder time at it than all the other children. It reacted to her emotions, as magic does, and was also in exceedingly great quantities. It was as though she had more magic in her than others, and her body was not strong enough to hold it in like other people. Due to this, when her emotions went uncontrolled, the magic let itself out of this tight container of her body. Therefore, at this very moment, magic was pulsating and crackling around her. It was all too soon, she couldn't deal with another surprise. This woman, who seemed so comfortable with her knees pulled to her chest on the large log and looking off into the distance in deep thought was in for a rude awakening. Hecate tried to stop it, she really did. She didn't want to hurt anyone, it was just that she couldn't control her emotions even though she wanted to. Those emotions rattled around inside of her and built up into a hot ball, searing her insides and her mind. The ball got too big for the space it occupied and shot from Hecate's hand. All it took was a split second. The cantaloupe sized fireball left Hecate's control and whizzed into a tree. Hecate was able to misdirect it before it left so it didn't hit the unsuspecting woman, but the tree was not so lucky. It caught fire instantly and Minerva jumped so forcefully that she fell off the log. With her quick recovery skills coming into play, Minerva quickly got up and put out the fire with a water spell. The tree smoked and sizzled loudly, and Hecate barely heard the whisper of an "Oh no" come from Minerva. Hecate hadn't seen Minerva turn or give any indication that she had seen her at all. So why was she scared that she had? She stood in shock and watched as Minerva walked over to the tree and apologized to it. She apologized to the tree. Hecate then watched as Minerva put her hands on the tree and said an incantation that she figured was Latin. 

Minerva chanted quickly and rather quietly, so Hecate had to strain to hear the words.  
"Ferte hanc arborem retrorsum ad vitam. Solve id eõ dolor et concertatio. Face id crustam sicut bene sicut novem. Et accipe hoc donut do tibi."*  
Minerva then laid a bundle of unknown herbs, flowers, and minerals at the base of the tree and waited. Suddenly, bright purple and red strands of magic began to weave through the tree. When one went in, a green one came out and used its magic to heal a section of the tree. In just a minute, it was like the fireball had never left Hecate's hand. Hecate was unable to make any sense of what just happened. How was Minerva able to heal it, just like that, without potions or anything? She stood with her mouth hanging loosely and a stunned expression on her face that was mixed with confusion. Before she could transfer away, however, Minerva had turned around.

"Mistress Hardbroom! I am so sorry, it really isn't what it looks like. I didn't mean to, it just happens sometimes, but I did fix it. I was just out here to think…" Minerva trailed off and drew into herself. "I really am sorry, Mistress Hardbroom, I usually have better control."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Hecate said quietly after recovering from her shock.

"I think I do. I could have set the whole forest on fire!" She tried to reason.

"You do not because you are not the one who did it!" Hecate said forcefully while her nails were biting into her flesh, but her voice then changed to soft and surprisingly shy. "In fact, I should be apologizing to you."

"But, how-" Minerva began but stopped when the realization that Hecate had caused the fire had sparked within her mind. "I don't understand. Why?"

Hecate turned away and tried to control her emotions once again. She barely spoke above a whisper when she said, "I couldn't control it. I was barely able to stop it from hitting you, let alone stop it at all. I- I'm sorry." She exhaled harshly.

She began to raise her hand to transfer when Minerva put her hand on her wrist. Hecate healed her palm before Minerva could see it.

"Please," Minerva said, trying to hide most of her desperation. "Don't leave. I'm not upset. In fact, I understand. I know what it's like to have to be in control twenty-four seven, and I don't just mean control of students or schedules. Please, Mistress Hardbroom, let me make sure that you're okay."

Make sure she's okay? Why in the world would this woman care? She just met her. No one has ever cared for her that quickly before. Not even Ada, and yet, she couldn't convince herself that it wasn't genuine. 

"Fine. I'll stay." Hecate said, faking her reluctance. "But please stop calling me "Mistress Hardbroom," not even the students or the Great Wizard is that formal. HB or just Hecate will do, thank you." Hecate stated while slowly removing herself from Minerva's grip.

"HB it is, then. Please, sit down." Minerva said in reference to the fallen tree.

Hecate did sit, but not before spelling a cloth cover over the tree and a sturdy table with a tea set on it. She did have some standards and a reputation to uphold. Minerva began making the tea while Hecate made herself comfortable. As the silence passed, the pair began to delve into their heads, each without realizing it. Once Minerva finished the tea, she looked up into a field of awkward interaction, and a jolt within her made her want to run, but she knew she shouldn't and wouldn't.

"Mistress- HB. Here's your tea." Minerva said handing Hecate her tea and chastising herself once again.

The silence consumed them a second time and they each looked off into the distance. Hecate was still baffled that Minerva wanted to make sure that she was okay, let alone sit and talk with her and make her tea by hand when she could have easily done it with magic. Minerva was worried similarly, but it was for the safety of Hecate and the impression she made upon her. She didn't know why it was important, just that it was. Minerva was going to say something to break the ice when Hecate spoke first.

"Once again, I'm sorry for that. I do have trouble controlling it sometimes." Hecate struggled to admit this, but something about Minerva compelled her to speak. She looked to her hands on her thighs and began picking at an invisible string. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I've been coming to this spot to think since I arrived at Cackle's as a first year. I suppose, with everything recently coming into play, and things that you don't know about, I was a little upset that someone was in my spot." She tried to avoid directly telling Minerva that her being here was what set her off, but what she said wasn't completely a lie either.

"I am so sorry, M- HB." She sighed at herself. "I'll find somewhere that I won't be a bother to you. It wasn't my intention to invade your space." Minerva began to stand and walk away.

"Wait." Hecate said. "That's it? You almost get hit by a raging fireball and you think you're in the wrong? And you're still trying to make me "feel better"? Who does that? Why would you do that?" Hecate's suspicion was growing clearer with every word.

Minerva turned and looked into Hecate's untrusting eyes. She knew then that all she wanted to do was assure her of her good intentions. "The truth is, I find that your happiness, and everyone else's, is just more important than mine." Minerva said it quietly, but Hecate heard every word.

Suddenly, the buzzing in the air came back, and Minerva felt the static lift the hair on her arms and the back of her neck. Hecate was now standing, her face towards the ground, dark and angry.

"I do not take kindly to being toyed with, Ms. Grimsborne." Hecate gritted out and looked up, her eyes were ferocious and hurt. "If you have some sort of play, it won't work. This school has been through far too much to let another wayward soul into its walls, only for them to turn around and betray it! I won't let you get whatever it is that you're after!" Hecate glared at Minerva with all the strength that she possessed and tried to push her most menacing aura towards the woman. Minerva seemed affected, but not how people usually were. Most cowered or even ran, but all Minerva did was stare at her, eyes overflowing with sadness and regret. Hecate somehow felt bad for the woman but she thought to herself, 'Pull it together Hecate! She's probably using some sort of spell.' Hecate's face got more tense as she glared at Minerva one last time, and transferred to her chambers.

Minerva stood still, staring at the place where Hecate had just been standing. 'What have I done?' She thought. She transferred to just inside her own chambers and slid down the door. She buried her face in her knees and held it down with her hands on the back of her head. She knew the day had been bad, but she didn't think it could get any worse. Turns out, it had gone catastrophic.

\--

Hecate was pacing through her rooms, anger and sadness and betrayal pouring out of her. 'Was I only talking about the school? Or was I talking about me?' She thought. She didn't know why she was so affected by this- this strange woman. She needed to get out, and she needed to get out now. Doing a series of transferrances, she got as far away from the school as her binding ever allowed her. She supposed if it had been far enough before, it was far enough now. She touched down just on the line of where her containment used to begin, and the grass around her scorched black. At least a 20 foot radius of burned grass stretched from her in all directions. 'How have you made it so long?' She asked herself. 'You're a danger to everyone around you.' Though the buzzing had stopped when the grass had burned, she felt it's return with greater force than before. She couldn't hurt her home, not again. So, for the second time in thirty years, she stepped past the line that had contained her and transferred a mile further out. Once again as she touched down, the ground caught fire. She looked at the giant circle of ashen life around her and thought, 'You will never escape this kind of containment, you foolish, foolish girl. You deserve this.' The words were not in her own voice, however. They seemed to be a mixture of her father's voice and her old mentor's, Mistress Broomhead. That woman never missed an opportunity to scold Hecate, even if she had been dead and gone for ten years now. The thoughts began to pile as Hecate looked to the stars for answers, they provided none. She closed her eyes and one single tear slid down her cheek, and a surge of power that she didn't notice flared around her. A second, smaller surge occurred slightly afterward. Hecate was so lost, she didn't hear Ada calling her name.

"Hecate! Dear, please, hear me! Hecate!" Ada shouted with great concern.

There, above a blackened patch of grass, Hecate floated. An aura surrounded her and it seemed to be silvery-white, highlighting every part of her. She startled at Ada's shouting and, opening her eyes, looked at Ada with curiosity. Ada shared the same curiosity, but was far more worried for Hecate's glowing, purple irises. She had seen them before, but never this bright or powerful.

"Hecate, please come down! We should talk!" Ada shouted over the buzzing.

"You shouldn't be here, Ada." Hecate said flatly, but her voice vibrated through the air and sounded menacing instead. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't control it. You need to get away as fast as possible."

"But, Hecate, you can! I know-" Ada's words were cut off by Hecate transferring her into her office with the slightest movement of her fingers. 

Ada could still feel the static on her skin. She had never seen Hecate this affected. She needed to fix this. Now. 

Ada transferred to Minerva's door and knocked ferociously. When she got no reply she opened it with her magic and walked into another scene of chaos. Papers were strewn across the room, each containing either pictures or words created from charcoal. Ada followed them into the bedroom, which had chairs knocked over and sheets hanging from the bed in different ways. In the corner was a figure, who's ball-shaped form seemed to emulate darkness. 

"Minerva, dear. It's Ada." Ada said kindly while walking slowly over to Minerva. "Will you talk to me? I can help, if you'll accept it."

Minerva turned sharply and showed Ada her bright red eyes. "How could you help me? This- this thing inside me, it won't let me be, and you think you can fix it?" She yelled, fear shining through her devilish looking eyes.

Ada had never seen anyone with the same sort of eyes as Hecate before. She knew that whatever caused it was a different form of magic, a very old and very rare form of magic. She had read up on as much as she could when she found out about Hecate, and found ways to deal with it, and help Hecate control it. She never knew that Minerva had it as well.

"No, dear. I can't fix it. But I can help. I have ways of dealing with this." Ada said softly while inching closer.

The garnet eyes grew confused. "Wh- How? How could you possibly know how to help this?" She gestured at herself and specifically her eyes. 

"I know someone else who has some trouble with control." Ada said with knowing eyes and a comforting grin.

"No. No. You- you can't mean…" Minerva trailed off and backed into the wall. 

"I can and I do. Now, why don't you let me see what I can do, hmm?"

Minerva looked at Ada's out-stretched hand with worry but inevitably took it. Ada helped her to her feet and looked at Minerva with great concern.

"Is it alright if I transfer us, dear?" Ada asked.

Minerva only gave a slight nod but still clung to Ada with a tight grip. Once they arrived in Ada's office, she set out tea and pastries. She gave Minerva a butterscotch and told her that it would help. Minerva did as she was told and sat down while putting the candy in her mouth. While Ada got to work gathering things that would help Minerva, she thought about Hecate, who was out there alone. She had never let Hecate be alone while she was going through these episodes, but she knew that if she wasn't able to help Minerva, then Minerva wouldn't be able to help Hecate. Both of them were incredibly strong, she knew, but she also knew that they could both use a little help sometimes. She went back over to Minerva with freshly made tea containing a calming potion. Minerva took it, smelling it before taking a sip, and then sighing with relief. Her body had calmed, but her eyes were still shining bright. Ada figured Minerva was ready to talk, despite the continued red hue in her irises.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you were going through this? You know that you could and can tell me anything." Ada asked, trying to fight the hurt out of her voice. 

Minerva looked up from her tea with sad, pitying eyes. "I have been dealing with this since I was thirteen. I don't know why or how I came to be this way, but whenever I asked for help, people looked at me like I was a monster. I don't like that look, and I don't know what I would have done if I had gotten it from you. You were and are my only true friend, and I couldn't lose you because of something like this. So I hid it. As best I could, anyway." She said, her voice crackly with held back tears, and a breathy, self-deprecating laugh.

"Oh, dear. I want you to know that from here on out, you will never have to worry about a single thing from me. I love you as if you were my own daughter, and the same to Hecate. You two are very precious and special people, and you deserve to be happy." Ada said, proud tears coming to her eyes.

As she stared meaningfully at Minerva, and Minerva at her, she saw the red fade slowly away, and the normal color of her irises return. She smiled at her, and the smile was returned.

"I know that today has been rough, dear, but I need your help with something." Ada said after the comfortable silence passed.

"What is it?" Minerva inquired.

"It's Hecate. She's going through one of the worst episodes I've seen yet, and I don't know if she'll fully recover without your help." 

"How could I help? I'd probably make things worse. I know that she hates me after today."

"Today?" Ada asked. "Nevermind, that isn't important. What is important is that you are the only one who knows what she's going through. Your help would be very valuable. The thing is, I don't know why it is that the two of you are the only ones with these powers. If we knew, we might be able to understand and control it better." 

"I have a book that I thought might help, but I haven't had the chance to even open it yet."

"That might help. I've scoured the library for something even remotely similar, but nothing came up."

Minerva summoned the book to her hands and gave it to Ada who used a 'Complete Concentration' spell. She had read the whole book in thirty seconds. When she was done, she gasped and looked at Minerva with a mixture of powerful emotions, eyes stinging with held back tears.

"What? What is it? Did you find something?" Minerva asked quickly.

"It seems that you and Hecate are the only two beings in existence with these powers. From the beginning of time, two celestial forces reigned supreme, one of light and one of dark. They contained small pieces of the other's soul as well, so that they were never completely light or dark, and so that they would always find their way back to one another. These two beings were the beginning of all witch-kind." Ada took a deep breath to control her voice before continuing. "One day, referred to as "The Fracture," these two beings were challenged by another, who wished to control the witches himself, and turned them against their creators and removed their memories of them afterward. While they were more than strong enough to defeat him and all of their children, they had vowed not to end life, and so their lives were ended instead. But their souls remained intact, and they travelled through time, always searching for one another, but not knowing that they were searching at all. The book says that they never found each other again after their separation, but that if they did, it would mean the end of wizard supremacy, and that witches would gain ultimate enlightenment, and would finally find what they had all been searching for, their rightful mothers."

"So you mean, Hecate and I- we'll fix everything...together?" Minerva said, unusually calm, but with tears silently falling down her cheeks.

"It appears so, my dear. But don't let this book be your guide. Listen to your heart, and feel through your soul. It will tell you the right thing to do." Ada said while putting a comforting hand over Minerva's.

Minerva nodded and closed her eyes, searching herself for the answer. After a few seconds, her head tilted to the side, and she opened her eyes, once again revealing the crimson pools. She saw Hecate in her mind and felt a cosmic pull to go to her.

"Are you alright, dear?" Ada asked with concern.

"Better than ever." Minerva said with a smile while the hue faded back to normal, and transferred both her and Ada to Hecate's location.

When they arrived, the section of burned grass had extended to the trees, and all that was left were empty, white shells. Hecate still floated, but had gone higher, and her light shone brighter. Minerva looked at her with utter awe, but all she could think about was how beautiful Hecate looked surrounded in the pale glow. Ada began calling to Hecate, who startled once more. When she laid eyes on Minerva however, her face changed from concern to hatred.

"You shouldn't be here. Neither of you should, you'll only end up getting hurt." Hecate said, her voice continuously vibrating through the air. 

The static was palpable, and if a normal witch were to encounter this, she would turn-tail and run for fear of this menacing aura. Minerva felt completely different, however, and walked steadily closer, despite the glares from Hecate.

"I am not afraid, Hecate. For once in my life, I am completely unafraid of anything." Minerva said, staring meaningfully at Hecate, and making sure she noticed the change in her eyes.

When Minerva's eyes had completely turned red, she released her shadowy aura, and began floating as well. Hecate looked on with disbelief as Minerva came close to her.

"I understand, Hecate. I know what you're going through and I want you to know that you aren't alone. Before today, I had no idea what this was. I know you still don't. But I'd like to ask you one favor. I promise you, I have the best intentions in mind when I ask, trust me, please?" Minerva finished and held both of her hand out, palms up.

Hecate's mind was fighting with itself as she looked at Minerva with curious awe. Her original reaction would be to get away from Minerva as fast as possible, but everything she had was telling her to take her hands, and she couldn't resist. She slowly reached out and hovered over Minerva's hands. Even slower, she lowered them and gripped tightly around the soft, waiting hands. There was a split second of silence and breathing after they touched. It was quickly interrupted by a great explosion of light from the pair's hands. They began to glow in unison and some force pulled them higher into the sky and spun them. They noticed it not, however, and only stared into each other's eyes, which were growing brighter and brighter with knowledge. A few minutes passed and they stayed in the same position, just staring. Soon, the light was dimming, and their bodies were coming closer to earth. By the time they landed, all that remained were the red and purple eyes.

"I know I've just arrived, but I've known you for my entire life. Lives, even. Do you see it now? Do you remember?" Minerva asked Hecate, her voice similar to Hecate's earlier, and sounded almost cracked, like it had been used too much, but vibrated the air with just as much strength as Hecate's.

"I do." Hecate responded in kind, tears sliding down her face and onto the burned grass, which began to regrow where her tears landed. "I do, and I want never to forget again."

"I told you I would always find you, my love, and here I am." Minerva said, and leaned her forehead onto Hecate's.

"My love." Hecate smiled at the name. "That sounds so perfect. And here I thought I'd never hear it again, though I never had, not since the beginning." 

"Well, now you can hear it everyday, and I don't plan on holding back." Minerva looked into Hecate's eyes and finally saw what she had never known she'd been looking for. 

Hecate stared back and the pair shared another quiet moment. The entire time, Ada had been watching the exchange, and she, too, regained the knowledge of the old ways. She was more touched by the here and now though, and so focused on the joining of the pair. When their quiet began to last a long time, Ada finally thought about the changes that were sure to take place. After all, there would be no Great Wizard after this, though Hellibore would certainly fight to keep his position. She didn't want to break up the touching reunion, but felt it necessary to alert the pair of the upcoming changes.

"Sorry to interrupt dears," Ada said while walking closer. They both turned and looked on curiously. "But, I have some more news. With your reuniting, the memory of The Fracture has returned to the witching world. I'm afraid that changes are afoot."

The two separated finally, but maintained holding hands, for fear that if they let go, they would never find each other again.

"I suppose we have some things to discuss." Hecate said, and transferred them all to Ada's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Latin Translation: "Bring this tree back to life. Save it from its pain and strife. Make its bark as good as new. And accept this gift I give to you."


	6. Remember, You Hate Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate and Minerva "catch up"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter but I'm tired and quarantine work is kicking my ass. Thank you for reading, if you're still here. :P

"So you two remember everything, but are still who you grew up as?" Ada asked. "How does that work?"

"We haven't been our original selves for so long. I guess that we'd fit our skin better if we remained who we are now. Of course, we could create other bodies, but I like the way we are." Minerva responded and glanced meaningfully at Hecate, who pretended not to notice, but the redness at the tips of her ears gave her away. Minerva smiled at that.

Ada hadn't seen the exchange, for she had been going through the book again, and said, "I suppose that makes sense. I still believe that you are both who you were and who you are. Despite how you were raised, your souls should have given you both the key elements of your personalities. Things like trust issues and anxiety, however, were gained through life." Ada finished and looked over her glasses at the pair.

They both exhibited their anxious social behavior by looking down at their feet or playing with their fingers, but quickly returned to normalcy. In between the silence, however, Hecate had a thought.

"Ada, what're we going to tell the kids? Will they know that it's us?" Hecate asked, worry growing into all-out paranoia.

"I don't think they will, and for good reason. Given what happened last time, I would imagine that your whereabouts wouldn't have been given to everyone. I imagine that the only reason I know is because I was there, and we figured it out together." Ada replied.

Hecate's shoulders relaxed after Ada's affirmation. Minerva felt horrible to see Hecate, such a strong witch, be afraid of people who didn't deserve her trying to hurt her. She knew that there would be backlash to the new and yet old order, but she also knew that this time, she would protect Hecate with everything she had. Having been lost in thought, Minerva didn't realize that she had been staring at Hecate longingly while Ada talked on. Hecate's ears had gone red again, and Ada pretended not to notice this time. Minerva couldn't help but smile at the whole situation. She had all of herself again and had found her other half, so she felt no shame about staring at her. Ada closed the book she had been studying over and stood up.

"I shall need to call a teachers meeting and then an assembly for the whole school after the staff has been settled. I do believe that you two would like to catch up, but please come to the meeting. No one has to know, but if they don't, you two need to keep up appearances, and that means acting like you don't know one another." Ada stopped at their surprised and sad faces. "I know how it sounds. But Hecate wasn't the nicest to you when you had just arrived, and if you both suddenly acted like, well, like you were married, then everyone would be a bit suspicious." Ada finished and transferred away to make meeting arrangements.

Hecate's ears and cheeks had become even more red, whether from Ada's mention of the way she had acted towards Minerva or the "married" comment, she had no clue.

"She is right, you know." Minerva spoke up and took Hecate's hands in her own. "It will look suspicious to others, so we'll have to be diligent in public. That says nothing about in private, though." Minerva said slyly and looked at Hecate with what seemed to her like a burning gaze. 

Hecate shuddered and was beginning to wonder if these innuendos were from the soul, or if she had gotten to know Minerva enough, would this be her too?

"I think it would. Does it bother you? I can stop if it does." Minerva said and looked at the floor, ashamed and angry with herself for having possibly upset Hecate with her careless words.

"No. No, it doesn't bother me, just surprises me is all." Hecate said, and brought Minerva's eyes to her own. "But we must talk about how you heard that. Someday."

Minerva smiled and nodded at Hecate. Her face then grew puzzled and she looked as though she had something to ask. Hecate's heart jumped and hoped that she hadn't done anything wrong.

"What is it, dear?" Hecate asked.

"It's just that-" Minerva started, then got embarrassed and stopped. "No it's okay, I don't want to ruin anything."

"I promise that it won't ruin anything, whatever it is." Hecate soothed.

Minerva looked up with hopeful eyes and took a long, deep breath.

"Would you mind- I mean, would you be opposed to- Would you maybe want to-" Minerva tried her hardest but couldn't say the words, but Hecate got the message.

Hecate put her hand under Minerva's chin and slowly lifted her face to look her in the eyes. Minerva could have sworn that she saw the universe in those eyes, and was delighted when they left her own and came to rest on her lips with a hunger that she had never seen from Hecate. Hecate's eyes flickered back up and Minerva gave a slight nod. That was all Hecate needed to crash her lips into Minerva's. It took Minerva a second to recover from the shockwave of absolute bliss to begin reacting. She wrapped her arms around Hecate's slim waist and gave as much as she got. Hecate's lips began to part and she found herself eager to explore. She felt Hecate's body begin to sag with all of the stimulation, and so she pushed her backwards to sit on one of the armchairs of Ada's seats. When Hecate sat, they came apart for a moment to catch their breaths and find a way to fit Minerva between her legs, despite the best efforts of her dress. Minerva slammed their lips back together again once Hecate seemed comfortable and held her hand at the base of Hecate's neck, scratching slightly at the scalp. Hecate moaned into the kiss and Minerva knew at once that that sound was all that she wanted to hear for the rest of her life. To her dismay, Hecate began to slow down and pull away.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?" Minerva asked.

Hecate looked up at Minerva, taking in the disarray of her hair and the smudged lipstick from Hecate's own lips, and smiled what she would consider to be a goofy smile.

"Absolutely not, my dear." Hecate smiled and placed her hand on Minerva's cheek, which she leaned into. "I just think that if we're to go to a meeting and act like we don't know one another, then it would be best to make sure that we don't look like we just… you know." Hecate smiled jokingly up at Minerva.

Minerva smiled in relief and laughed happily. "I do suppose that you are right, but you look perfect like this to me."

Hecate stood and hit Minerva's shoulder lightly with the back of her hand, smiling and laughing breathily. She cast a spell to return them to the way they looked before their brief exploration. Minerva stared at Hecate while the strict woman checked her hair and makeup in Ada's mirror and, with a cheeky grin, thought, 'How did I ever get so lucky?' 

"I think we're both the lucky ones, my dear." Hecate stated with a loving smile and turned from the mirror back around to Minerva.

"So how do you think you did that?" Minerva asked.

"Did what?" Hecate questioned back.

"I didn't say the first thing out loud." Minerva said with a sly grin.

"Well. We really must discuss that, indeed." Hecate said, eyes widening and eyebrows raising adorably.

Minerva nodded and smiled reassuringly. She took Hecate's hand in her own gently and kissed it lightly between the second and third knuckle, making Hecate blush once more. "I'll see you at the meeting, darling. But remember, you have to hate me." Minerva said, smiling mischeviously, and transferred away.


	7. In Her Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate and Minerva explore a part of their powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so its been a while. Listen, im a sad bean and I have no motivation. Its a crappy chapter but I'm hoping it'll get more dramatic and a little steamier in following chapters. Remember, if theres anything you want to see, just let me know in the comments of this chapter. Also, today is 2 years after a giant tragedy happened in my life, so this was sort of a distraction piece. TMI, but there you go. Thanks for reading!

After settling herself, Hecate transferred directly into the teachers lounge, and found that Minerva had not yet arrived. She knew that her recently learned knowledge could get in the way, but in truth, she had never felt more at home than she did in this moment. She was herself, her Hecate self, and her other self at the same time. But she understood that they were also one in the same.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Minerva had come in. However, her presence was quickly noticed thanks to Dimitys' loud laughing. She saw her deliver a tight hug to Minerva, and something within yher stirred. It felt like a hot poker on her chest, and it made her angry. She had never been much of a jealous person, but something about Dimity and her clinginess made her uneasy. She had to put a stop to this. She walked swiftly over to the pair and talked over their current conversation.

"Ms. Grimsborne, " she drawled out, " it is pertinent that I speak to you about your trial period. In private." She finished with slightly narrowed eyes in Dimitys' direction.

Minerva was taken aback. Hecate seemed to be playing her part well. It was only fair that she do the same.

"Mistress Hardbroom! Of course! I'm terribly sorry, Dimity, but I must attend to this." Minerva put her hand on Dimitys' wrist and smiled apologetically as she walked away with Hecate. Once they reached the opposite corner, she spoke again. "What is it, my love? Is there anything wrong with my trial?" She asked innocently.

While the pet name soothed Hecates' burning core slightly, she was still aggravated. She knew she shouldn't be upset, and so lowered her head in shame.

"No, there is nothing wrong with your trial." She stated quietly.

"Hmm, then is there something that is bothering you?" Minerva asked softly, so as to not be heard.

Hecate lifted her head with renewed vigor and determination in her eyes. " No, no there isn't. I have simply found that keeping up this charade is already going to be difficult."

"Well, I agree to that sentiment. It'll definitely come in handy once we get the thought thing under control, that way you can tell me anything you want without having to make excuses to Dimity." Minerva smiled cheekily as she finished her statement.

Hecates' ears went red just as everyone's attention was brought to the center of the room. Ada had just transferred in and was holding the book that Minerva had given her. Everyone was curious as to how things would now continue with the impending changes.

"Hello everyone! I know that we're all confused and a little excited about the change in management, but I want you all to know that I will help everyone understand as much as possible about the situation. I also don't want to involve the girls directly in any of the changes in the council or with the Great Wizard. We may inform them as best as we can about the history and tell them how things will work, but they should not be involved in politics. After all, not much is going to change except for that, and it wouldn't do to worry them with things they ought not to be worrying about." Ada said with finality.

"Ada, " Mrs. Bat spoke up, " how do you think this will affect the children? Will they regain the knowledge as well or will we have to inform them of the change?"

"To that, I'm not sure. I suppose we'll have to see when we resume school on Monday, unless anyone has heard anything from any of the students?" Ada said with curiosity.

"I did hear Mildred talking to Maud and Enid about feeling a change within her, and they agreed to feeling it as well." Dimity interjected.

"Well, without specifically mentioning what this change is, it could be another type of change. They are at the right age for it." Ada added softly.

Dimity nodded and said that she would keep a better ear out, and the others did as well. With that settled, they were able to return to their rooms. Ada asked Hecate and Minerva to stay behind before they could leave. They had separated when Ada came into the room, but since everyone had gone out, they came back together like a rubber band.

"How did that go?" Ada asked.

"It was…unusual, but we managed." Minerva said and smiled at Hecate who nodded in agreeance. 

"That's good. I want you both to know that I am so proud of you. And I'm so happy that you found one another." Ada said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Ada, we are as well." Hecate said rather proudly.

"While I understand this is all new, and you both will have to figure things out, there are also things you will have to take care of in the witching world. Specifically, politics and rules." Ada said guiltily.

Both of the bright smiles the women exhibited faded, and they sighed collectively. They glanced at each other and nodded.

"We understand. Have you been contacted by any of the other council members yet?" Hecate asked.

"No, but I'm sure by tomorrow the letters will be flowing in. In the meantime, you two should explore what you are capable of and figure out a method of dealing with keeping it a secret from, well, everyone. I know it isn't ideal, but unless you want everyone hassling you and expecting things out of you, I wouldn't tell anyone." Ada said, hoping that they would agree.

"I agree. I know how important a steady foundation can be before going into uncertain territory." Minerva said. "Besides, we've already discussed… exploring."

Ada nodded and transferred away, seemingly without getting Minervas' joke. Hecate was not so lucky and her ears gave her away once again.

"You are so cute when you're flustered." Minerva smiled at her and took her hand. "What do you say to retiring for the night and exploring a little?" 

Hecate was surprised by the tone, it held no innuendos to other meanings. It seemed that she was serious about their powers. 

"That would be lovely, " Hecate responded, "but I have to do my rounds first, then I'm all yours."

Minervas' eyes went dark at the last part, startling Hecate with the fast change, but the smile that graced Minervas' lips let her know her mistake in word choice.

"I look forward to it." Minerva smiled sweetly and ghosted a kiss on Hecates' cheek. 

Hecate shivered and felt a different sort of burn than earlier. It was lower. Minerva stepped back and let go of her hands and transferred away, leaving Hecate alone in the teacher's lounge with her new thoughts. 'That infernal woman.' She thought comically.

She once again had to gather herself before transferring to make her rounds.

\--

When she walked through the door to her rooms, Hecate was surprised by the smell of black tea and bergamot. Earl Grey, her favorite. She looked toward her chairs by the fireplace and was once again surprised. Curled up in one of the chairs with a massive fluffy blanket was Minerva, sound asleep and snoring lightly. Hecate was overcome with love and happiness at seeing her other half so open and adorable. She quickly slipped out of her heels and tip toed over to the other seat. The tea on the table between them seemed to have been charmed to stay heated, and Hecate smiled at the consideration. The other cup on the table was empty. Hecate refilled it and made sure it was a good temperature before tapping lightly on Minervas' shoulder. She shot up, spine straight and eyes bright red.

"Whoa, whoa, it's just me, dear." Hecate said quietly. 

The red quickly faded and her posture relaxed. Once calm, she grasped Hecates' hand that rested on her thigh and kissed it before leaning her head back onto the chair and gazing at Hecate with emotion filled eyes. Hecate gulped and felt her cheeks go hot. 

"Sorry for being so late." Hecate said sheepishly.

"Nonsense, it's not that late. I was just super comfy." Minerva stated and smiled at Hecate once more. "What time is it anyway?"

Hecate grasped her watch from her chest and clicked it open. "It's about a quarter till ten." 

"Well, we have some time to explore our powers, if you want?" Minerva said while looking hopefully at Hecate.

"Of course. How do you want to start?"

"Hop up, if you please?" Minerva asked.

Hecate did as she was asked and stood from her chair and proceeded to watch as Minerva started to push the chairs into such a position so that they were facing one another and that they could sit knee to knee. Hecate laughed softly.

"You know you could have moved them with magic right?" Hecate asked with a smile.

"What's the fun in that? Plus, it made you laugh didn't it?" She said while walking over to Hecate and putting her arms around her neck.

Hecate immediately wrapped her arms around Minervas' waist and leaned into her touch.

"I suppose it did." Hecate said, faking her strict voice.

Minerva leaned up and kissed Hecate, but cut it off before it could get too heated. She then slid her hands down Hecates' arms, resulting in a shiver, and grabbed her hands. She pulled Hecate over to the chairs and sat with her.

"Okay, let's stay touching and see if that affects it. Try talking to me in your head." Minerva commanded softly.

Hecate closed her eyes and focused on the touch. 'Minerva. Can you hear me?' After a second or two she heard a response. 'Yes I can, Hecate.' She opened her eyes and stared at Minerva.

"You didn't say that out loud?" She questioned.

Minerva shook her head. 'Lets try not touching now.' Hecate heard in her head. The voice made her shiver. Hecate slowly let go of Minervas' hands. She once again reached out with her voice. 'I hope this works.' She stated within her head.

'Well, it did.' Was the response, along with a cheeky smile. 'We should check the range next.' Minerva added.

"I would love to, but I think I've stayed up a little past my bedtime." Hecate joked and laughed softly. Her truth was proven, however, when her laugh turned into a yawn.

"I suppose you're right." Minerva said with a slightly sad smile. "I'll see you in the morning then." Minerva kissed Hecate on the cheek and began walking towards the door.

"Wait, " Hecate said. "Where are you going?"

"I figured after everything you might want a little space." Minerva said quietly, seemingly ashamed.

Hecate stood and walked swiftly over to Minerva and enveloped her in a hug. "I have had space from you for a millennia and then some. I don't need anymore. So please...stay." As she said the last word, Hecate pulled back and looked Minerva in the eye with an unreadable but entirely open expression. Minerva nearly melted right there.

"Are you sure?" Minerva asked cautiously.

Hecate smiled softly and said, "I wouldn't lie to you, dear. Now, let's go get warm and get some sleep." 

With that, Minerva was leading the way to the bedroom. She was surprised at the decoration when she got there and made a note to explore later. But for now, she had one priority, her very own Hecate.


	8. Bad and Less Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate gets some bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains blood, graphic imagery, intimacy, and small s4 spoilers
> 
> Uhh Ada is Dumbledore, but also a spirit guide? I have no idea what I'm doing anymore and I'm always half asleep when I write these so I'm sorry. Sorry it took so long too but I tried to make it longer so it might be worth the wait. Next chapter should have a lot more drama. It should also get more steamy in the next two or three chapters, but idk, the work goes where it wants. Thank you for reading!

Feeling comfortable and rather warm, Minerva awoke slowly from her deep sleep. First, she noticed the sun peeking through her window, which highlighted the particles in the air and made them shimmer like floating flakes of glitter. Then she noticed the smell. It seemed different from the clean linen she was used to, but was pleasant nonetheless. The smell carried that of old wood, Earl Grey, and home. How could home be a smell? And why did Earl Grey remind her of something? Before she had the chance to ruminate further, she felt a shifting by her side and found a splayed out mess of dark black hair on her chest. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered where she was, then it skipped another when she remembered who she was with. 'This will never get old.' She thought, completely content. The mass of hair moved again and tickled her abdomen. 'Go back to sleep.' She heard in her head by a voice that wasn't her own.

She spoke aloud this time, "Why, Hecate Hardbroom! Never would I have pegged you for sleeping in late! I thought you might have been up and doing rounds or having tea with Ada." She finished jokingly.

Her words seemed to have struck deep, however, when Hecate shot up from her position on top of Minerva. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and framed her face with elegance. Her sleepy eyes were clouded by fear and her eyebrows were drawn together in worry. Minerva began to worry as well and wanted to know what the matter was. Before she could ask, Hecate bolted off of her and over to her nightstand, picking up her watch after settling on the edge of the bed. She opened it and sighed with relief. She put the watch back on the nightstand and wrapped the chain around it with care.

"Is everything alright, darling?" Minerva asked cautiously.

"Yes, I suppose it is, but your comment about rounds made me think about the time and I had to check. I do have rounds, they're in two hours though." Hecate sighed once more in relief, her voice rough from sleep.

"What would you like to do in that time?" Minerva said, hoping for a certain answer.

"I would like to sleep for another hour and a half." Hecate said, completely missing Minerva's intention for the first time. Minerva supposed fatigue could do that. Hecate crawled back over and kissed Minerva on the cheek before sliding down and resuming her position on her chest. An arm was wrapped around Minerva's waist and another kiss was planted to her stomach. Though the kiss sent infernal tingles through her body, she was happy to be a warm and loving pillow for Hecate. As Hecate's breath evened out, Minerva felt herself slowly falling into the realm of darkness and dreams once again.

When she woke again, Hecate was gone, but she could tell something was wrong. That warmth that she had felt was gone, it had been completely sucked from her core, and it left a dull ache in her heart. Something else was amiss, however. Minerva bolted upright and looked around. Shadow hung from every corner of the room and deep, blood red light filtered in through the window instead of the sunny pale yellow she had seen earlier. Hecate's things were still on the night table, so she couldn't have gone far. Though the eerie light was unsettling, she knew she needed to find Hecate. A bad feeling settled its way into her gut the moment she got up from the bed, almost forcing her to the floor, but she bit her tongue and pressed on. As she rounded the end of the bed, she was shocked to see bloody footprints on the floor. They led her out of Hecate's room and into the hallway, and went in the direction of the Great Hall. She followed them all the way there to where the footprints stopped just below the doorway and turned into a puddle of blood. There were people, children, in the Hall, and she wondered how no one saw this. Her sights landed on a man at the other end of the room. He looked to be ancient and in some sort of powerful position, such as the Great Wizard, and was chatting with some students who looked rather young. 

He pointed above and behind Minerva's head and said, "She children, this is what happens when witches get unruly and don't do what they're told."

The way the man said what he did, so calm and sure, as well as the context, gave Minerva a chill down her spine. She turned around slowly and what she saw brought her to her knees. There, above the doorway was Hecate, her Hecate, nailed to the wall and dripping blood like a faucet. Her head was leaning back against the wall and her eyes were open but held no light. She felt tears roll down her face and darkness consumed her, but some of that darkness was not her own. 

"You see, you did this to yourself. If only you would have just stayed in your place, unknowing and suffering. It would still have been so much less pain than what you are about to face. It's a pity, though, that these pretty bodies will be destroyed." The man said as he rounded Minerva, and cut off her view of Hecate. His last words were punctuated by the dragging of his finger from her jawline to her chin and he made sure to force her to make eye contact. 

After they met each other's eyes, Minerva's world faded into black, and she was left staring into the abyss. Those eyes. She knew now who the man was. That man was the one who started The Fracture and took the place of The Creators, her and Hecate's place. Even though Minerva knew that he was the False Father, she still gleaned that he was a greater threat than before. This series of events sent her mind spiraling, and the deeper she got, the madder she became. She thought she heard a faint whisper, but to no avail. Deeper and deeper she went. Worse and worse. Deeper and deeper. Worse and….

"Minerva, dear, are you alright? You're burning up!" Hecate said.

Minerva bolted upright as she had in the dream. The dream? It couldn't have been as simple as that, could it? She saw Hecate latch her gaze onto her eyes.

"Dear, what's wrong? Your eyes…" Hecate whispered.

"I think I had a terrible dream, but I feel like it was more than that." Minerva said guiltily.

"Well, what happened? Are you okay to tell me?"

Minerva didn't want to tell Hecate about what she saw. "I think the Father is back. He didn't seem too happy to see us."

"Are you sure?" Hecate asked with a gasp.

"I'm sure. I'd know those icy white eyes anywhere."

"Oh, my dear, I'm sorry you had to endure him alone." Hecate said sympathetically. 

You were there. "It's okay, darling. You're here now." Minerva forced a smile onto her face and tried to press the image from her mind.

The fear in Minerva's eyes was palpable. Hecate heard Minerva's thought, but she didn't seem to want to tell her the truth at the moment. She didn't want to pry too much, so she simply pressed a kiss to the corner of Minerva's mouth, which was reciprocated in kind. Minerva held her hand to the base of Hecate's head and kissed her urgently. Slowly leaning back, Minerva guided Hecate on top of her. The kiss became deeper, needier, and soft affirmations could be heard from both of them. Though the leather nightgown got in her way, Minerva began to slide her hands over Hecate's frame, first over her rigid shoulder blades, then onto subtler, but softer and more welcoming curves. Minerva found her fear was slowly dissipating and another, more powerful urge was taking its place. Bringing her hands back up to Hecate's jawline, Minerva settled herself and repositioned tactically. Before Hecate realized what Minerva was doing, she was on her back and staring into deep and mysterious pools that promised eternal life. Minerva gazed from above at Hecate's hint of red on her cheeks, the fan of hair behind her, and the inviting warmth of the "v" in her night dress. It seemed like time had frozen, but the stillness was soon interrupted by their desire coming back in full force. Hecate pulled Minerva down to her and kissed her fiercely once more. Hands tangled in hair and breaths were exchanged. Minerva had just worked her way down Hecate's jawline and onto her neck, and was experimenting with the sounds that she could draw out of the woman beneath her when they heard a succession of chimes from their maglets. Since they were only accessible to other teachers, they both knew that it was a matter of importance. Minerva sighed and kissed Hecate passionately before rolling off of her and walking over to their maglets while Hecate, who could feel the heat radiating off of her own skin, worked on getting herself under control. 

"It's Ada." Minerva said. "She says she wants to have tea with us before you make your rounds."

"Well, I was hoping for a bit more time to get ready, but I suppose a shower spell will do." Hecate said, rather disappointed about not being able to take a full shower.

"Yes, I was as well. Would you mind doing mine?" Mineva asked.

"Of course not." Hecate stated, twirling her fingers and performing the spell on the both of them, and twirling them once more to change into her clothes, which had her usual style but contained red undertones in the lace. She also applied her make-up and fixed her bun.

Minerva followed suit and changed into her own clothes. Today, she chose a fashion similar to Hecate with a long black dress that came to the middle of her calves, but flowed in a wide circle. She also sported a small black pleather belt with a silver buckle, flowing three-quarter length sleeves, and a semi-deep v-neck that had ruffles. Hecate stared at her in awe and knew that if she were a dog, she'd be drooling. Just then, Morgana, Hecate's cat, came from her hiding place somewhere within the room and rubbed against Minerva's leg, purring loudly. Hecate supposed that cats always had a better way to show their feelings than dogs. 

"She never does that to anyone but me." Hecate mused with a soft smile.

"Well, I'm honored." Minerva said while bending down and scratching lightly on the black cats' head.

After seemingly satisfying the majestic cat, she stood and smiled brightly at Hecate, having almost forgotten her recent unpleasant encounter. She held an arm out to Hecate, who took it graciously, and transferred them both into Ada's office.

"Ah, good. You're both here!" Ada exclaimed. "I'm afraid I have bad news and good news. Which do you want first?"

Both women sighed inwardly and said, "Bad news." at the same time. They glanced at each other and shared humored smiles.

"Well, bad news first then." Ada said with a smile of her own, but it quickly faded into furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips. "Unfortunately, the Great Wizard is going to be visiting Cackles' tomorrow and he's bringing his assistant, his advisor, the head of the council, and the co-head. They have gathered information from when "The Remembrance," as they called it, started, and say that their radar shows a very large scale power burst just outside of the grounds. They don't know who or what it was, but they are coming to do an inspection." She stopped to let the information sink in.

Both women had now furrowed their own eyebrows and were looking rather intense, but nodded nonetheless. 

"And the so-called good news?" Minerva asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Ah, yes." Ada said, as if she had forgotten. "Later on in the day, Mrs. Pentangle is coming to do another Modern Witching Workshop, as she has before!" Ada said brightly, however, she knew the effect that this could have on Hecate, but did not want to show her worry on the subject.

Minerva had heard about Pippa Pentangle before and all the great things that she had accomplished, including building her own school from the ground up. This seemed to be a good thing, and so she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked to her right to check Hecate's reaction and found that she was swaying ever so slightly and had a shell shocked look on her face, like she was somewhere else. She swayed a bit too far backwards and began to fall, but Minerva quickly put a hand on her back and grabbed her arm to steady her. Hecate rushed back to the present and gripped tightly to Minerva.

"Are you alright, darling?" Minerva said softly.

"I- I think so. I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"I was afraid something like this would happen." Ada said with worry plastered onto her face.

"You mean you knew that this could happen? Why didn't you warn her?" Minerva asked, not unkindly.

"I figured it would be best to do it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid." Ada said. "I suppose I should have given a warning, after all, it's all a bit much to take in."

Hecate began to come back to herself and stood on her own. Her eyes held recognition once again. Ada gave her one of her lemon drops, which she took gladly. After steeling herself once more, she prepared herself to speak.

"How come these are both in the same day?" Hecate asked.

"Well, you know that the Great Wizard inserts himself anywhere, anytime, and tomorrow happened to be when he wanted to investigate. And you know that Miss. Pentangle is a very busy woman, and this was the only time she could fit into her schedule. I am truly sorry about these circumstances, Hecate. If I could change them, I would." Ada finished.

"I know you would, Ada. What sort of workshop will she be doing this time?" Hecate sneered as she drawled the last few words.

"Actually, it has to do with Minerva's class. She will be showing the girls how to interact with smaller magical creatures such as a jackalope, a kitsune, a garden pixie, and a lesser druid. For that, she will be with Minerva and in her classroom for almost the whole day. I know the circumstances are not the best, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the girls, and I could not let that go to waste." Ada said sympathetically.

"I understand, Ada. It's not as bad as it used to be, but you know how I am. I just hope the stress of tomorrow doesn't take its toll on me and I release it in front of her or the girls." Hecate said and shifted her eyes toward her feet. Minerva's ears perked up at the use of the past tense, wondering if Hecate happened to know Pippa Pentangle.

"I know you'll do your best, dear." Ada smiled warmly. "Sorry to spring this on you before your day has even started."

"It's quite alright. I'm glad you told us. Thank you, Ada." Hecate said, then paused to look at her watch. "I guess I should start my rounds now, though."

"Of course." Ada said. "I'll see you both during breakfast."

"See you then, Ada." Minerva said. "Will you let me walk you out?" She asked Hecate.

"Always." Hecate smiled fondly.

Ada watched as the pair went out of her office and smiled at the way they were getting along. Once outside, Minerva turned to Hecate.

"You know, darling, if tomorrow's stress gets to be too much, just know you can come to me. I'll do whatever I can to relieve it." Minerva said it genuinely, but a bit of mischievousness came through in the way that she accentuated the word "whatever."

The tips of Hecates' ears burned with the thought of what she would do, but she nodded in thanks. "Thank you, dear." She said in a dry croak and planted a kiss to Minervas' cheek. "I'll see you at breakfast, then?"

"Absolutely." Minerva said. " Will you be okay after all of that, though?" She didn't know what Hecates' relationship with Miss. Pentangle was, but she knew that it had affected her greatly.

"I believe so. Sorry to make you worry over me." Hecate stated with shame.

"Good. And don't be sorry, after all, that's my job." Minerva smiled.

Hecate was a little taken aback by Minervas' ease in accepting her awkward moments and her difficulties, it truly made her love her more. She nodded in affirmation, kissed Minerva on the cheek once more, and transferred away in a light white smoke. Minerva hadn't seen that sort of transference before. She decided to ask Hecate about it later. After contemplating the situation for a few moments longer, Minerva decided to make her way to her classroom.

When Minerva arrived at her empty classroom, she took note of the time. Breakfast was in fifteen minutes, so she had just enough time to create a sign-up sheet for tutoring. She had mused over the idea several times, and, considering that no other teacher does tutoring, she had already asked Ada if she could tutor the girls in all subjects depending on where the student was lacking.  
Ada had, of course, granted her permission. All she had to do was schedule a time and let the girls know. She got to work on her sign-up sheet, completing large calligraphy and fancy lettering by hand, then using magic to put in lines for the students to write their name on. The lines were only for presentation, though, since she wanted to keep those who signed up anonymous, at least until tutoring started. The magic Minerva put into the paper allowed names to be taken down on another sheet of paper that only she had access to, and the names on the poster would disappear. 

When finished, the sign read:

"Attention Students!  
Tutoring for all classes will begin next Tuesday after school has ended and will be held in my classroom. Tutoring will be tailored to fit the student!

Sign Up Here!

\-------------------- --------------------  
\----------------------- --------------------  
(All participants remain anonymous unless group tutoring is required)

Your Teacher,  
Miss.Grimsborne"

At the bottom right, Minerva had stamped her seal, which consisted of a raven and a crow, both spreading their wings upward and around the moon. Rather proud of her handiwork, she magicked the paper to the wall outside of her door. She hoped that students would sign up but also intended for it to stand as evidence to the Great Wizard and Miss. Pentangle that the school was doing its best for the students. The clock on her wall sounded the hour and Minerva realized that she had been staring into nothing and thinking for the past eight minutes.

'I need to stop doing that.' She thought as she transferred to the Great Hall. Hecate was sitting in her spot and everyone seemed to be having a good conversation. Without the intent to do so, Minerva found herself recalling her earlier dream for an instant. Her heart beat wildly from the fast flight of fear that took over her. She caught herself before she stared at the back of Hecates' head for too long. Dimity gave her a small concerned look which she disputed with a smile. 'I felt your arrival but you seemed to hesitate. Is everything okay?' Hecate asked Minerva in her head. Minerva spared her a loving glance and replied 'Everything's fine, darling. Sorry for being a little late.' Hecate sent her a caring glance that only she could see and knew that Hecate understood that something was amiss. She wanted badly for her own problems to be ignored so that the focus could be put on Hecate's issues with the upcoming event. 

Suddenly, her catastrophizing was cut short by Ada's sweet, yet firm voice that carried through the Great Hall. She was announcing the arrival of both the Great Wizard and Pippa Pentangle to which the girls responded with great enthusiasm. Hecate's face, however, soured with the second mention of the surely horrible day that she was going to have to endure. Ada finished her announcement and sat back down, leaving the girls to whisper and speculate to one another.

While Minerva managed to have a conversation with Dimity and Ada, Hecate found herself unable to process more than the immediate. That being the pile of grey, gluish porridge on her plate, the sound of every voice in the Hall melding together to form a constant loud drone, and the steady bump from Algernon's jumpy leg hitting the table. The sounds and feelings coalesced into the throbbing of her head, therein creating another sensation to add to the overflowing pot. How was she to cope with the trials of tomorrow if she could not bear to make it through breakfast? She tilted her head upwards to try to relieve some of the pulsating in her head. Minerva's eyes met hers and told her all she needed to know. 'Everything will be okay. I am here with you.' Her breathing slowed as the pounding subsided. That is how she would make it through, she would not be alone. Not this time and not ever again.

"Do you think that would be okay, Hecate?" Ada interrupted her train of thought.

She tried not to let it show that she had been caught off guard. "I suppose. Why don't you run it by me again, just to make sure."

"I was just saying that, since the workshop would take up so much time, and the girls won't be having class, that you could assist Minerva and Miss.Pentangle in keeping order and help with teaching." Ada said pleasantly.

"But I- Ada you know that I do not endorse *modern* magic. Surely I could not do any good." Hecate bristled.

"But surely you could. Since modern magic is so unruly, who better to make sure the girls stay in check than you, dear?" Ada said sweetly. 

Hecate's eyes widened at the fact that she was unable to argue and that she desperately didn't want to be put in that situation. She caught a glimpse of Minerva's apologetic eyes while looking about in shock. She lowered her head slightly and remembered what she had just learned. "I suppose someone should be there to reign in the chaos that is inevitable." Hecate sighed.

'I'll do whatever I can to make it easier.' Minerva thought.

'I know you will. Thank you, dear, for being here with me.' Hecate responded.

"Then that's settled! I hope you find it within yourself to have some fun, Hecate." Ada said.

"*Fun* isn't a word I would choose to use for the uncontrolled use of *modern* magic by children who don't know how to conduct themselves appropriately." Hecate said sharply.

"Now now, Hecate." Ada soothed. "I was just saying that perhaps the class itself could be fun, since it may yet be informative and creative at the same time."

Hecate grumbled slightly and nodded, transferring away at the twist of her long, black taloned nails. Minerva smiled slightly and excused herself from the table as well, saying that she wanted to be in her classroom before the students arrived. Ada let her go with a knowing gleam in her eye and a friendly smile. Ada was calm and cool on the outside, but within, she worried for the woman she loved as a daughter. She knew this would be difficult, but that it couldn't be an excuse to shut everything out again. Luckily, Minerva was there to be with Hecate. She had her own troubles as well, but Ada knew that they would stand by one another and help each other through everything that came their way. That's why she had to push Hecate to do this, to show her that she was capable, and that she shouldn't be afraid of being alone or trapped anymore. She was free and she was strong. They both were, they just needed help to see it.

\--

The day passed slowly enough for Minerva. Several students asked about the workshop that Miss. Pentangle would be giving and some about why the Great Wizard was coming. She gave very vague answers to both, noticing that the girls cared more about visitors than they did for regular class. She chalked it down to the new being more exciting than the old. The whole day, her thoughts were muddled with worry for Hecate. She needed to know why this Pentangle woman affected her so, but she did not want to push her. She would ask. If Hecate did not wish to impart this information into her, then she would not pry.

\--

Later that night, Minerva invited Hecate to her rooms for tea. Hecate greeted her with a tired kiss to her forehead and a whispered, 'I missed you.' Her heart warmed with the acknowledgement and she kissed Hecate passionately on the lips. Once they parted, Minerva offered her tea and challenged Hecate to a game of chess, which she took on heartily.

After getting settled in and pleasant conversation was exchanged, Minerva decided to take a chance.

"Hecate, darling, I have a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Minerva started,

"I have nothing that I would wish to hide from you, dear. What is it?" Hecate asked with earnest.

"Well, it's about this… Pippa Pentangle." Minerva paused. "I see how her arrival is affecting you, and I am of course here to comfort you with anything, but I was wondering why it was that she is affecting you so much, or at least, how you may know her?" Minerva said softly.

"I see. It is within my mortal life that I know her. We were… friends at a very young age and I- I changed. I left her without warning, without care for how it may have hurt her. I thought I was doing what was best for her, but I was foolish, and I ruined our friendship. She hasn't looked upon me or spoken to me in thirty years, and I am unprepared for her arrival. I know that it is my fault, however, and I shall reap what I have sewn." Hecate said gravely,

"Thirty years? What on Earth happened?" Minerva gasped.

"I made a grave mistake. One that cost me thirty years of my life, stuck here in this castle. But I know that I deserved it. One does not do what I did and simply get away with it. Pippa does not know of the mistake I made and did not know of my punishment. I knew that she would fight for me, but I could not put her through the pain of doing so. I told myself that I was protecting her, now I know that I was. I was protecting her from myself, from the torture of leaving me behind. If she was to be successful and make her school a possibility, she could not continue holding onto me, a fading stain on these walls. But these walls became my home, and the people within became my family." Hecate stated simply, trying to lance the pain from he voice.

"But, Hecate, you were a child. What could you have done to warrant such a punishment?" Minerva asked.

"I used a wishing star to turn a non-magical girl into a witch. The power corrupted her, and she was turned into stone." Hecate whispered in a broken voice.

"Oh, darling. I'm so sorry you had to endure that alone." Minerva said, placing an empathetic hand on Hecate's cloth covered thigh. "But I'm sure if she knew, she would understand."

"No. She cannot know. It would ruin her. She would hate herself for hating me for what I did to her. But I deserved it, and she deserved her life. I cannot take that from her. I cannot take her hate of me from her. I can't hurt her again, Minerva." Hecate said weakly.

Minerva enveloped Hecate in a hug which she returned strongly. "I understand, darling, and I'm sorry I made you relive it. Thank you for trusting me with it. I'm glad you're free now, and I will always, always, be here with you."

"And I with you." Hecate said, turning her head to meet Minerva in a deep kiss.


End file.
